What soil type predominant in the high-rainfall rainforests of southern Nigeria is heavily leached, acidic, and rich in iron and aluminium oxides?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. ferrallitic soils or oxisols
- Step 1: Intense tropical weathering and high precipitation in southern Nigeria leach soluble silica and bases from the upper soil horizons. Step 2. This leaves behind deep, reddish ferrallitic soils (ferralsols/oxisols) characterized by iron pan accumulation and low natural nutrient holding capacity. Answer: ferrallitic soils or oxisols. Why not the others: Vertisols are dark cracking clays found in the Chad basin; solonchaks are salt-encrusted soils; hydromorphic soils occur in river floodplains.
Practise more Vegetation Zones, Forest Reserves and Agro-Ecological Belts.
Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed General Knowledge (Nigeria) mock tests.
More Vegetation Zones, Forest Reserves and Agro-Ecological Belts questions
- Which coastal vegetation belt in Nigeria is dominated by red and white mangrove trees adapted to saline tidal waters?
- Which freshwater palm species dominates the Freshwater Swamp Forest belt immediately inland of Nigeria's coastal mangroves?
- Which vegetation belt represents the broadest ecological zone in Nigeria, characterized by tall grasses and scattered fire-resistant trees?
- Which distinctive umbrella-shaped tree with drought-resistant adaptations and massive water-storing trunks is iconic of Nigeria's Sudan Sava…
- What is the extreme northern vegetation zone in Nigeria, found along the borders of Borno, Yobe, and Sokoto, characterized by short thorny s…
- What multinational environmental initiative is Nigeria implementing across eleven northern states to construct an 8,000 km shelterbelt again…